2016 Pageant: Day 7

Yesterday the girls enjoyed some family time at Cowboy Christmas while showing off their personality and style with the Justin Boot Parade. Justin sent each girl a pair of boots that they got to design, bedazzle, and completely personalize. The boots displayed everything from rhinestones to fringe, from fur to a light up zia sun symbol!

After showcasing their creativity around Cowboy Christmas, each girl auctioned off a purse or bag with a wild variety of goodies inside. Proceeds will go toward the Miss Rodeo America Foundation scholarship fund for next year’s pageant contestants.

There was an estimated $30,000 raised today! The bag with the highest bid was Miss Rodeo Texas’ Texan Longhorn hide bag for $2,600. Contents packed inside the sack included: a one-night stay at the Maverick Hotel and dinner for two at Reata restaurant in Alpine, a two-night stay at the Harvard Hotel in Fort Davis, a three-night stay at the Lajitas Golf resort with two rounds of golf on Black Jack’s crossing and a one-hour flight over the Big Bend countryside (and more!).

All of the ladies’ bags included a colorful assortment of goodies and travel deals that reflected the greatest assets of every competing state, to include outdoor adventure and hunting trips, rodeo tickets, food, wine, and tack. The auction felt like a tour of the 33 states represented by our 2016 Miss Rodeo America contestants.

In addition to all of this, Kristi Q auctioned one of her incredible outfits for $800. The lucky winner of that prize will get to design the outfit with Kristi herself. Pam Minnick auctioned an original painting — a beautiful portrait of a young girl leading her Shetland Pony— which was titled, “Miss Rodeo America 2030”. The artwork sold for $1,200.

After the auction contestants had a bit of time to shop around the market before heading out with their chaperones for a lovely, albeit brief, night on the town. They saw a gorgeous live Christmas performance on the streets of one hotel-casino before soaring over the entire city on the High Roller, Las Vegas’s 550-foot tall observation wheel that boasts the best views in town — yet another special opportunity made possible by Las Vegas Events.

Soft beds and long zzzzzz’s followed promptly after the sky-high ride, with coronation just a night away. The girls had another early start this morning to prepare for their final day of pageant. Send them your thoughts and support as they await the announcement of who will be Miss Rodeo America 2016!

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